


Flames of the Future

by penguins_and_such



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: AU in which most of the setters are Mages and/or Seers, Alternate Universe, Characterization Heavy, Familiars, Gen, Kinda, Mages, Magic, Medieval, Minor Character Death, The rating will change so there's your warning, magic college
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-07-21 20:06:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7402030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penguins_and_such/pseuds/penguins_and_such
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Kenma, Akaashi and various other setters wield magic and see the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The beginning of a longggggg fic.  
> A collaborative effort with [Windy](http://www.iamthewindything.tumblr.com)  
> (Honestly she's writing the majority of it, but doesn't have an ao3)

“... And as for your familiars, you needn’t worry about picking out any particular name just yet.” The older woman smiled, tucking an unruly strand of hair out of her face as she spoke. “They’re sure to come to you when the time is right.” A sort of quiet collective sigh spread throughout the classroom, some of the young mages even sprouting little smiles as the Head Mage spoke to them with such kind words and reassurances. She had intimidated them a little when she entered the room, her presence and posture exuding an air of authority. After talking with them about their prospective futures however, it helped them ease into their new lives, if even just a little. 

With a shuffle of a few papers, the Head Mage dismissed the students to enjoy the rest of their day exploring the college and getting to know one another, though stuck around in case any of them had any questions. It was an inevitable occurrence that at least one or two would stay behind and ask the woman any questions or voice any concerns they might have about their stay at the college and what sorts of things to expect from all the other teachers. With a patient smile the matronly mage answered in a calm and even tone, hoping to alleviate any anxieties her students might have, even recalling all their names in turn.

The older woman continued to walk and talk with a small group of students following alongside her. Some were nearly graduates, a few others had been attending for a couple years, and even some who had just joined, all of whom felt needed and important in their own ways at the college. One by one they all went their separate ways, and one by one she bade them farewell for the evening, giving each a smile and a slight nod of her head. Even some of the teachers stopped the Head Mage, asking her questions about what they should do on their research or how they should handle a certain situation.

“Ah, Miss Agatha!” a familiar voice called out to the woman, causing her to turn her head in the direction it came from. 

A smile spread across her face as she recognized one of her favorite former students, turning to face him in full. “Koushi, it’s always nice to see you. Have you been settling back into the college well enough? And you can just call me Agatha, dear; no need to keep with the formalities all the time.”

“I know,” he replied with a grin of his own, feeling a little more at ease, “but you’ll always be Miss Agatha to me; I can’t help it.” Sugawara nodded to her question, shifting the weight between his feet a little. “It’s a little weird, being back at the college, but the rest of the instructors still remember me and are very kind. I am worried about how Tobio will settle into his new role, but I’m sure he’ll be just fine.”

“I’m almost positive he’ll be alright; he had you to mentor him, after all.” The Head Mage chuckled warmly.

“We both know I’m not the best of mentors, but I won’t waste this opportunity I’ve been given to help the students in whatever way I can. Thank you again, Miss Agatha.” Suga gave a bow of thanks and bade her farewell, Agatha saying her own farewell as well and watched the younger mage walk away. She almost swore there was just a bit of spring in his step, but it could have just been her eyes playing tricks on her in her old age.

Once she finally had a little free time to herself for the remainder of the evening, the Head Mage sat at her desk in her study, ink to quill, quill to parchment, as she wrote a letter to one of the court mages of the kingdoms across the sea. It was a clear night, so she knew the letter would arrive quickly to its destination. She waited to send it though, giving her familiar attention for a little while and reading over papers and research notes from students and teachers alike, peering at the ink-scratched papers over her reading spectacles. 

The sun eventually began to set, the moon rising in the sky as stars began to dot the sky as it grew darker and darker. A candle and a nearby lamp were lit with a simple spark spell, allowing Agatha to keep reading and reviewing into the wee hours of the night. Or rather, she would have continued reading, if not for the knock at her door. She sat up a little in her chair, the old wood creaking underneath her shifted weight. Her familiar turned its head toward the door then back to its master, giving an almost knowing blink of solemn acknowledgement, hopping down from its perch and landing on her desk. The familiar stretched its leg out, allowing the woman to attach the letter she’d written earlier to its leg, the bird hopping quietly onto her arm as she stood and turned to the window. 

Another knock came to the door, more urgent this time. She knew time was running short, hurrying to open the window and allow her familiar to soar into the night sky, long tail feathers illuminated by the moonlight. “Fly true, my dearest friend,” she called out quietly, almost sadly as she watched for a brief moment as the bird disappeared into the dark. 

Once more a knock came to the door, a very impatient pounding that would only result in the door eventually being knocked in. Agatha closed the window and reached for her staff, gripping the aged wood tight with almost trembling fingers. She couldn’t remember the last time she had faced such a dangerous situation like this before, one that set her nerves on edge in anticipation of what was to come. Instead of being set in a thin line, her lips curled into a knowing smile; she’d dreamt of this night for weeks. Instead of being afraid, however, she accepted what was coming. It would only bring hardships and misery to the mages across the kingdoms, but there was no way to stop the inevitable; her visions and dreams always came true.

The least she could do was make these last moments some of her finest.

The door finally opened with an unimpressive squeak of the hinges, the woman standing with her back to her assailants. They took a step or two forward, not exactly sure if she knew they had come into her office yet or not. The Head Mage squared her shoulders and turned to face her attackers, a pleasant smile on her face as she looked over the handful of people who had broken into her study. With a light chuckle she gestured to a tea set on a nearby table, her gaze still fixed on the people in front of her.

“Would you care for a little tea?” Agatha inquired nonchalantly, smile still on her face as confusion was evident in the others’ eyes.

***

The following morning Sugawara found himself, scribbled-on notes in hand, reading over some of the papers as he walked to Agatha’s study. There was a buzz of conversation around the college, though Suga only caught snippets of them as he walked.

“Has anyone seen Miss Agatha yet today?” one asked their friend on their way to their lessons.

“She’s probably just getting a little more rest than usual; she does that sometimes, I think,” the friend replied, voice fading away as the two walked in the opposite direction the brown-eyed mage was heading.

He didn’t think much of it, even smiling softly to himself at the thought of seeing the Head Mage in such a vulnerable way, asleep at her desk or something. He began to climb the stairs, his footsteps echoing softly against the stone walls of the tower. Thankfully her study wasn’t too terribly high up in the tower, though something felt amiss the moment he stepped up to the sturdy wooden door and raised his hand to knock. 

Suga caught himself hesitating for just a moment, blinking in surprise at himself for worrying about something like that before rapping his knuckles a few times on the door and waited for a response.

A minute passed.

And then another.

He tried knocking again. “Miss Agatha? Are you awake?” he called out, not wanting to barge in without invitation, especially if she was in the middle of something.

Yet another minute passed.

Squaring his shoulders, Sugawara stood up a little taller, inhaling and exhaling a slightly shaky breath. “Miss Agatha, I’m coming in.”

Trying his best to stay calm and not thinking the worst, the mage opened the door. A scent all too familiar to him almost immediately hit him in the face as the door swung open: metallic, sharp, a stench so heavy he could taste it on his tongue, causing him to drop his papers to cover his mouth as if to keep himself from vomiting.

_ Blood. _

Slowly, he stepped inside, disregarding his notes for now as he looked around the room. Signs of someone struggling and being chased were obvious, given the books, vials, broken glass baubles, and other items strewn about the floor in disarray. Scorch marks from spells being cast--in defense, he could only assume--smouldered on the rug underneath his feet, one of the corners having been turned over. Agatha’s familiar’s perch was empty; perhaps the bird had managed to escape this dangerous situation? He wasn’t too sure. 

All of that was almost immediately irrelevant when Suga finally glimpsed behind the desk near the back of the room. He stopped dead in his tracks, eyes widening at the sight before him, a whimper of a declaration escaping his lips. “No…”

Agatha’s body lay before him, her robes stained dark with blood. Her body looked crumpled, almost too small, unbefitting of the kind and important woman she had been only hours before. Despite all of that, the expression on her face was not one of pain or agony, but one of serenity, as if facing her fate with dignity even up until her final moments.

As calm and collected as Suga liked to claim he always was, he knew he needed to find one of the council members as soon as possible, backing away from the Head Mage before bolting through the door and down the stairs. He nearly even tripped over his own feet once or twice on the way down, though he managed to catch himself. The difference in the scenery from the study to the halls was jarring, to say the least; mages in training walked and talked like nothing was wrong, lectures were still being taught, and just generally so full of life in comparison to the burnt bloody mess he’d just come from. He looked down one end of the corridor to the other, catching his breath from running so fast and trying to decide which way to go before taking a step and nearly running into someone.

“Sugawara? You look as though you’ve seen a ghost. Is everything alright?” A member of the council held the younger mage by his shoulders, trying to help steady him and to keep them from colliding.

Suga shook his head. “No. I need you to come with me, right now.  _ Please _ . It’s urgent.” He spoke curtly, not wanting to mince words before leading the confused council mage back to the study.

***

By the time the situation had been addressed, at least three other high-ranking mages had joined the two in the study, trying to find evidence and interrogating the poor mage who found her body in the first place.

“Who’s to say this brat didn’t kill her himself in the first place?” one of the council mages sneered. “It would make all of this so much easier on everyone, and we could just say it was all--”

“No.” Sugawara cut the other mage off mid-sentence, his initial shock of finding Agatha having more or less worn off. “I don’t have any motive, and the blood isn’t fresh enough. Besides-” He knelt down and gestured to her midsection, where she had been wounded the most. “This isn’t the work of an amateur. Her attackers were assassins. I think they used a certain kind of dagger you can only find in certain places in the countryside, but I’m not entirely sure. It’s been so long...”

“How can you be so sure?” another council member piped up, skirting around the room as they tried to stay as far away from the body as possible. “About the assassins and the dagger, I mean.”

“I’d rather not talk about that right now, and I don’t think you’d want all the details in the first place.” Suga stood back up, an intense expression on his face as he became lost in thought. 

One or two of the council mages began discussing what they should do next, how they should go about telling all of the mages in training and the court mages of the kingdoms, though the young mage wasn’t paying much attention to them. Such a sudden passing would only bring  grief and strife to the college and the mages in general, and would inevitably change their worlds as they knew them.

A decision was finally reached during the brief discussion: messenger birds would carry urgent letters to the court mages of each kingdom, and things would be kept under wraps at the college. No one was to know that Agatha had been murdered, at least not yet. One by one the messengers were released from the aviary; anyone seeing almost an entire flock of birds leaving the tower all at once might become suspicious.

As he watched the birds soar off in different directions into the sunny sky, Suga couldn’t help but wonder if this was the beginning of something that would cause their lives to be drastically and irreversibly changed, watching until he couldn’t see the messengers’ figures any longer before turning away to prepare for what was to come.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The great adventure of the mages Kenma and Akaashi begins!  
> Well, kind of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again most of the writing was done by [ Windy](http://www.iamthewindything.tumblr.com) (she's working on getting her own account, but until then if you like this you should check her out on tumblr!)
> 
> Also a quick warning! This chapter does have some puking, pretty vague, but still there.

A battlefield stretched out before the blond, swords clashing and shields banging against one another. Shouts of orders could be heard, though words couldn’t be made out over the cacophony of everything else. He walked through the ranks of soldiers as if he were almost a ghost, glancing at some of their expressions, watching as others were struck down or held their weapons up to defend themselves from finishing blows.

“...me-san, wake up...” A distant voice echoed in his ears, causing his brow to furrow and a frown to form on his lips.

Despite the strange voice he continued on his way, watching as a knight was cut down with a large battle ax, his own bare feet not missing a step. Arrows whizzed past his head, the majority hitting their marks and felling some of the knights in front of him; it was an interesting dream, he had to admit.

The voice came back again, louder this time. “... up, Kozume-san! Wake up!”

His shoulders were shaken, stirring the sleepy mage from his slumber. Kenma’s eyes fluttered open, his white cat leaping off his lap as his friend (Acquaintance? He wasn’t too sure) woke him up. He frowned again, sitting up a little more and rubbing his eyes. “You couldn’t have let me sleep for another five minutes, Akaashi…?” he asked with a yawn, stretching his legs.

“The sun’s beginning to set, so I figured we should get going,” the dark-haired mage replied, straightening himself out from crouching and waiting for the other to do the same. “We should be able to make it to Shiratorizawa’s capital by dusk if we keep at the pace we were going earlier.”

“I wish we didn’t have to go to the college in the first place.” The shorter of the two huffed, picking himself up off the ground and dusting his robes off. His cats circled around his feet, rubbing against his calves for a moment before one leapt onto his shoulders. “I hate going for these meetings… Can’t they just have them and send out messages afterwards?”

Akaashi sighed in response. “I don’t know, but I could think of about at least fifteen other more useful things I could be doing at this exact moment, but here we are nonetheless.” One of his owls came swooping down from the sky, slowing its descent and perching on his staff. He couldn’t help but smile a little, reaching his free hand up to gently pet the spot between its eyes.

“Well whatever it is, I hope it’s worth all this travelling. I just want to get in and out as fast as possible.” Kenma picked up his own staff, more of a walking stick with decoration than anything, and began walking in tandem with the other, his other cat deciding to hop up into the satchel that hung at his side.

The two walked down the road, occasionally talking with one another about suggestions for their work and bickering about whose method of fortune telling was more accurate, among other things. They passed by people tending to the fertile fields of the kingdom they were travelling through, the farmers and their helpers making sure there would be enough food to keep their own kingdom going as well as exporting it off to other kingdoms as well. Sometimes one or two of the farm hands would wave as they watched the two travellers walk, and the mages would wave back out of politeness.

Just as Akaashi had predicted, the duo reached the capital by nightfall, finding the streets still full of throngs of vendors and buyers. It was only to be expected that such a bustling kingdom was still so full of life even this late into the day, though some shops had begun closing up for the evening. Here and there a few shopkeepers haggled with last minute customers and tried to sell off the last of their stock. The fresh fruits and vegetables were of course larger and brighter than those of any other kingdom. At the sights and smells both mages found themselves ready to eat, although Kenma found himself a bit on edge.

Kenma couldn’t help but feel as if some of the townspeople were eying them with suspicion, though it could have just been his imagination; mages were more uncommon in Shiratorizawa than in other kingdoms, so it was only to be expected. At least _he_ dressed plainly when travelling. Akaashi, on the other hand, tended to travel in his robes, making himself a dead giveaway for someone who practiced magic.

The mages made their way down the streets to a higher-end inn they had decided on earlier in their travels, checking in for the evening and putting their belongings in their room. The inside of the inn was just as welcoming as the outside, a comfortable atmosphere that felt warm and light. Lanterns kept every corner well-lit and the tables practically glowed from the polish on them. Servers bustled to and fro; trays laden with food and drink. The two found themselves gravitating towards the bar, their noses and stomachs leading them to the smell of fresh food and good ale. Or, in Kenma’s case, some good warm apple cider.

As they searched for an empty table to sit at, they made note of all the different kinds of people the patrons were: friends who were all obviously drinking buddies, having a good laugh over a joke the two had just caught the tail end of; a lone person sitting at the bar itself, hunched over slightly and nursing what the mages could only assume wasn’t their first drink for the evening; some town gossips chatting animatedly to anyone who would listen, swapping stories and rumors they may or may not have just made up; and many others. There were also some local knights causing a bit of a ruckus nearby, making dares and bets on how much ale their friends could down in a single sitting, though they decided to try and steer clear of them for now.

Once they were settled into a tucked-away corner of the bar attached to the inn they began discussing which way to go next in the morning. A server met them almost immediately with a warm smile. “What can I get for you?” She shifted the tray under her arm, long braid swinging behind her.

“A pint of ale, and whatever soup is warm.” Akaashi dragged his map out of his sleeve and began unfolding it.

“Do you have any cider? Or apple dishes?” Kenma’s voice was soft as he spoke, one of his cats stretched before curling into his lap.

She puts a hand to her chin. “Yes, and we have an apple turnover right now, I think?”

“Then I’ll have that.” He dragged a hand over his cat’s head, scratching underneath her chin, much to her delight.

“Alright, I’ll have your food right out!”

“Thank you.” Akaashi barely remembers to say anything, the server out of earshot by the time he looked up from his map. “Kozume-san, you should really eat something more substantial.”

“I’ll get soup if I’m still hungry.”

Akaashi nodded and looked back to the map, pointing out roads and trails until the food finally arrived.  

As they were eating and arguing over whether they should take a path more to the east into Karasuno before heading north or just heading straight north from here they heard a commotion, turning their heads towards the source of the sounds along with the other patrons. A small scuffle had broken out between a couple of the more inebriated customers, something that had begun as a verbal argument and was about to evolve into an actual fist fight. Some chairs clattered to the floor in the struggle between the two, and they even caused some of the other bar patrons to back away and leave after quickly leaving a bit of coin on their tables to pay their tabs.

Almost out of instinct Akaashi reached for his staff to try to help dissolve the situation, Kenma following suit after a moment of hesitation. The two rowdy customers had just started throwing punches when the mages stepped in, using a simple spell to separate the two and a calming charm to quell their anger. The remaining patrons stared at the two mages, almost dumbstruck by such a straightforward display of magic.

Kenma couldn’t help but shrink back into himself just a little, not one for being the center of attention. Akaashi glanced around, wondering why everyone was staring at them until one of the knights stood from his seat with some of his men, surrounding the two mages.

The knight, who they could now tell was a general for Shiratorizawa by the look of his armor, motioned to two of his men. “You two, go grab their things from their room, animals included. I will not tolerate acts of magic in public.” His voice exuded an almost arrogant authority, folding his arms behind his back before addressing the mages directly. His bushy moustache  ruffled a little as he spoke, though his beady eyes looked untrustworthy as he looked between the pair standing in front of him. One of the two wanted to make a comment about how his moustache seemed to take away from his receding hairline, though did not want to anger the general any further. “As for you two, you’re under arrest and will be escorted to the castle and put under watch until further notice.”

The dark-haired mage frowned, glancing towards the stairs as his and Kenma’s belongings and familiars were brought to them and practically shoved into their arms. “On what grounds do you have the authority to do this?” he asked cautiously, testing the waters a little.

“His Highness King Ushijima left me in charge in his stead while he’s away on business, so whatever I say goes.” A smug smile spread over the general’s face before motioning to his men again to get the two mages moving.

The blond kept quiet as they walked to the castle, glancing over to his travelling companion every now and then. Akaashi caught his eye, trying to give him a reassuring look, but they were just pushed along instead. It wasn’t long after that that they arrived to the castle, finding themselves being lead to what could only be described as a jail cell, certainly a step down from the accommodations they had at the inn. The door was shut and locked behind them, leaving the mages to their own devices for now.

***

Hours had passed, and Kenma and Akaashi were already devising a plan of escape. Fortunately for them the knights left them with all of their things, including their familiars, staves, other magical catalysts, everything they’d need to escape. Their new lodgings for the evening had proved to be much draftier than they had hoped, a brisk breeze blowing through every now and then from some nearby cracks. It was a dry place at least, and there were beds that didn’t seem to be riddled with bugs or rats or spiders, much to Akaashi’s delight. Thankfully the guard that had been assigned to watch over them fell asleep some time ago, allowing them to talk more freely.

“... And that’s the gist of the plan. Sound simple enough?” Akaashi asked, rummaging through his bag for ingredients for a spell.

Kenma nodded, pulling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around his legs with a bit of a shiver. “As long as it gets us out of here, I don’t care what the plan is. Maybe we should rest though, just for a little bit..”

“You’re just saying that because I woke you up earlier, aren’t you?” He produced what they’d need, setting the ingredients down one by one in front of himself.

“No. … Well, maybe a little.” A pout formed on his lips, shifting around a little. “We should at least wait a little while longer so we have more cover in the darkness.”

Akaashi chuckled, pulling his staff over onto his lap. “I’ll have to agree with you there, Kozume-san. We should still work as quickly as we can though since I think it’s already night to begin with.” He looked up to one of their only sources of light besides the torches that were inside, the moon shining through a small window above them.

As the other began the spell to break them out of prison, Kenma’s familiars padded over to him, bumping their heads against their master’s hands as they tried to get his attention. “What do you two want?” Despite his seemingly cold words he reached down to pet the cats, receiving friendly nudges in return.

“No visions right now, but you seemed down, so we wanted to try to help,” the black cat purred, hopping up on Kenma’s lap.

“Besides,” the white cat added, curling himself around Kenma’s bare feet, “we’d rather be over here than near the scary one.”

Kenma glanced up when they mentioned ‘the scary one’; of course they meant one of Akaashi’s owls, who were both perched on their master’s shoulders as he performed the spell. He turned his attention back to the cats, giving a quiet snort. “You’re both just scaredy cats.” Having his familiars around did put his mind at ease, finding himself calming down from the situation at hand.

“Like you’re one to talk, you can’t stand to look her in the eyes either.” The black cat made herself comfortable on Kenma’s lap as he continued to pet her.

“Be quiet, Kuro. You too, Shiro.” He pouted at the chatty cats, but appreciated talking with them nonetheless.

Akaashi glanced up, hearing the other speak while not understanding what the cats were saying, the ‘scary’ owl preening his hair as the spell began to grow. “Is something the matter with Shiro and Kuro?” he asked, turning his gaze back down to the spell that was just about ready.

Kenma shook his head. “No, everything’s fine. … More or less.” He gave a quiet snort, earning himself a nip on the hand from Kuro. “Ow, hey-” The black cat only chirped in response, hopping off his lap and laying down elsewhere on the stone floor.

“Ah-” The aura around Akaashi’s hands changed color from a soft green to a pale blue, the mage standing and continuing to focus on the spell. He looked to his owls, giving them both a faint smile. “Akis, Asterope, thank you for your help. Kozume-san, are you ready to get out of here?”

“Mm. It’s about time.” He stood with a bit of a grunt, dusting off any dirt from his robes before gathering their things up in his arms. His cats stood and stretched as well before joining their master, waiting for the cell door to be unlocked.

Staff tucked under one of his arms, Akaashi stepped toward the door, hands outstretched before focusing the spell on the lock. It only took a few moments before they heard the telltale click of the lock releasing, the aura fading from his hands before slowly and quietly swinging the cell door open the rest of the way. The hinges squealed in distressful response, the sound echoing through the rest of the empty stone-walled cells in the jail.

Not long after the two, as quickly and quietly as they could, hurried through the corridor, tiptoeing past the sleeping guard and up the nearby flight of stairs and into the castle proper they only had a chance to glimpse at before. The moonlight shone through the large arched windows, illuminating the halls as the two snuck their way around the castle, not familiar with its layout and hiding in whatever shadows they could find whenever another guard passed. They ended up hiding behind a large tapestry as they evaded yet another knight, a shaft of moonlight revealing the intricate weaving and stitching once they stepped out from behind the cloth.

Kenma couldn’t help but turn his head, trying to identify the noble bird on the tapestry. “Is that… an eagle, or a swan?” he asked in a whisper, a hand reaching up to hold his chin in thought.

Akaashi looked as well, his brow furrowing in thought as well. “Who knows? I certainly can’t tell.”

With a sigh, a shrug, and a shake of his head, Kenma gave up trying to pin down what the bird was and turned his attention back to sneaking out of the castle with the other. Unfortunately for the two another guard came strolling by, seeing them standing in the bright white moonlight before running off shouting for backup.

It happened all too quickly.

The mages were swiftly surrounded again by knights, spears and swords pointed threateningly at the two. They barely had time to think before drawing their staves to protect themselves, Kenma gripping his with trepidation, Akaashi holding his out as if to cast a quick spell to get them out of their sticky situation.

The same general from before stepped up towards the circle of knights, a smirk on his face as he spoke. “Trying to break out of the dungeons, are we?” He chuckled, his moustache ruffling even more. “Resisting arrest and jailbreaking is a serious crime, you know. And threatening the knights and, by proxy, the standing ruler to boot?”

Akaashi narrowed his eyes, hands tightening around the wooden shaft of his staff. “You only incarcerated us because we broke up a fight. Is that really so bad?”

“Mages like you are abominations. No more. No less.” The general’s smirk turned into a stony frown, beady eyes glinting in the moonlight. He motioned to the knights, making a dismissive gesture with his hand. “Take them to the other dungeons and split them up. They obviously know how to conspire together. Oh, and take all their things too, animals included. Can’t have the little beasts helping them escape again.”

Kenma turned his head, seeing his familiars being forcibly and recklessly picked up, a gasp escaping his lips. “Don’t hurt them!” he exclaimed in a panic, trying to take a step forward to stop them. His attempt ended with being knocked to the floor, staff knocked out of his hands and clattering along the stones and out of his reach.

Akaashi’s owls met the same fate as Kenma’s cats, much to his dismay, as did his belongings and even himself. A swift blow to the head descalated the situation into the knights’ favor, Akaashi now dazed and trying to push himself up to stand from the floor. Their belongings were confiscated and their bodies were lifted up and taken to the other dungeons that lie underneath the understated walls of the castle, the mages’ bodies lolling about on the shoulders of the knights as they were carried away.

***

Out of all the words he could have used to describe the smell of the air as he came back to consciousness, Akaashi definitely would have described it as musty and sulfurous. His eyebrows knit together as he woke up, a throbbing pain in the back of his skull as he tried to push himself up into a sitting position. His hand touched the ground, some of the roughhewn stones damp and slick with moisture. One particular spot felt as though there was a spot of squishy mold cultivating, causing Akaashi to quickly retract his hand in disgust. He didn’t think their evening could have become any worse than it already had been, though he was very quickly proven wrong. Akaashi managed to stand from something he could barely call a bed, holding himself upright and trying to keep a wave of dull throbbing and nausea out of his mind. The only light source he could make out when he reached the cell door were torches along the walls outside his new cell, though Kenma was nowhere to be found in the immediate area. Grabbing hold of the bars, rough and scratchy with rust, he tried poking his head out the best he could in an attempt to locate the other.

“... Kozume-san?” he called out quietly, his voice echoing throughout the lower dungeons. “Are you there somewhere?”

The sound of Akaashi’s echoing voice eventually reached the other, stirring him from something he really couldn’t call a ‘slumber’, giving a groan of pain as he tried sitting up. The voice was distant, his sight hazy as he tried to get his bearings on where he was. There was a steady drip of water near him, creating a small puddle in the corner of his cell that didn’t drain away very well. One or two of the torches outside his cell were unlit, either not having been set ablaze in the first place or having been extinguished by water; Kenma wasn’t too sure. The smell of the air made him want to gag, pressing a hand to his mouth as he finally managed to stumble over to the bars. Down the cell block he could see the other’s head poking out a little, finding at least some relief that they had not been completely separated.

“Yeah, I’m over here,” Kenma called back groggily, resting his forehead against the cell door despite the rust.

A sigh of relief came from the other, Akaashi trying his best to see Kenma from where he was. “Good, I’m glad. You’re not badly hurt, are you?”

“My head feels like it wants to split in two and I can feel my dinner trying to come back up, but other than that I’m _great_.”

“There’s no need for sarcasm right now, Kozume-san, we’re in serious trouble. I don’t know where Akis and Asterope are, and it’s beginning to bother me.” His voice had a tinge of worry to it, gripping the bars a little tighter.

It took Kenma a moment or two to realize that Shiro and Kuro weren’t around either, nor were the rest of his belongings. A hand pressed to his collar, trying to feel if the chrysoberyl amulet he always wore was there and not feeling its familiar shape. His hands flew to the pockets of his robe, his belt, everywhere he could remember keeping something magic-related, though everything was gone. A swell of panic began to rise in his chest, his mind now darting to his familiars’ well being. He could feel that they weren’t hurt at that moment, but were they being fed and given water? Did they have adequate space in whatever place they were in?

“... I don’t like this.” Kenma’s voice was quiet, shaky as he tried to calm down and keep his mind from racing. He wrapped his arms around himself, turning away from the bars and resting his back on them instead.

Akaashi nodded quietly in response. “I don’t either. We need to get out of here, and fast.”

Just as he finished speaking the two heard a door in the distance open, footsteps clicking against the wet stones with gentle splashes as they passed through shallow puddles. Their cells were approached by a guard bringing them food, sliding the trays with a meager meal of bread and cheese and some surprisingly clear water. The bread and cheese weren’t moldy at least, but the guard gave them both dirty looks before leaving them again, not saying a word. The two waited until they heard the footsteps fade and the door open and close again before even touching the food. They were both too hungry to not choose to eat, sitting in the driest parts of their respective cells and eating the meals they were given. The water was just enough to quench their thirst, each giving a sort of satisfied sound as they finished what they were given before settling back down again.

It was a little while before either of them spoke again, their voices quiet but echoing in the spacious dungeon. “... Kozume-san.” Akaashi stood, leaning against the bars again.

“Yeah?” Kenma remained on his makeshift bed of sorts, though pushed himself up into a sitting position.

“Do you think the meeting at the college is already over?” Though Kenma couldn’t see it, worry overtook Akaashi’s face, evident in his voice. “Do you think anyone noticed we weren’t there?”

When he thought about it, the feeling of being forgotten did make Kenma all the more anxious, especially given their situation. “You know, you’re not very tactful when it comes to these kinds of situations.” He huffed, pulling his knees to his chest again to try to reassure himself of something, _anything_ that would help get his mind off the predicament at hand.

Akaashi’s mouth set into a frown. “Well I’m sorry, I’m just trying to think realistically. If someone noticed we were gone for awhile, don’t you think they’d send someone to look for us?”

“I would hope so… I just hope we’re not stuck down here for too long. I don’t think I could take the smell very much longer.” His nose crinkled in disgust, trying to withdraw his feet from the damp floor as much as he could, hugging his legs as tightly as he could. His heightened, almost cat-like senses didn’t help his case either.

“I think the best option right now, as bad as it sounds, is just to comply with these conditions for now and wait for the best opportunity to escape.” Akaashi’s gaze fell to his feet; he didn’t want to say it out loud, but it was truly their only option for the time being. “I’m going to try to get some rest. We should probably try to conserve as much energy as we can as well.” He hesitated for a moment, unsure of what else to say before deciding to finish the conversation. “Sleep well, Kozume-san.”

“Yeah… You too, Akaashi.”

With that, the two curled up on their beds and fell into a restless slumber, their dreams filled with the thoughts of their familiars.

***

Days had passed (or had it been more like a week? The two weren’t very sure; the only way they could tell what time it was was when they were brought food three times a day) since Kenma and Akaashi had been taken to their new prison, and needless to say, they had become quite miserable. If word had been sent out about how they were missing, they certainly didn’t know about it. Their robes were constantly damp from their surroundings, the acrid stench of sulfur now dulling their sense of smell to anything else around them, and they had begun to grow restless, still feeling forgotten by the rest of the world but wanting freedom all the same. Akaashi had taken to trying to rid his cell of some of the culturing molds, at least trying to keep his cell as clean as possible.

Kenma, on the other hand, had different plans.

As his friend had suggested, he had conserved as much energy and food as he could, choosing to nap most of the time in his cell, concentrating and focusing as much of his magic as he could. When he felt he had enough time and waiting until after he and Akaashi had finished their latest meal, Kenma knelt down and concentrated every ounce of magic he could muster without his staff, an aura of energy surrounding him. The spell he had been experimenting with wasn’t exactly complete yet, but it was the best shot he had.

Akaashi looked up from what he was doing, seeing a faint glowing light that wasn’t one of the torches down the cell block from him. He raised an eyebrow, standing from what he was doing and peeking out of his cell to try to get a good look.

The light grew a little brighter as Kenma focused as hard as he could, the spell now taking effect. He could feel his body shrinking, bones moving and shifting with sickening crunches and excruciating pain radiating through his entire being. He would not stop; it was his only chance to break them free. His entire form hunched over onto all fours, his bicolored hair receding as what looked like fur began to cover his body. The aura from the spell concealed the rest of his transformation, finally fading once it was complete. An adult-sized cat was standing where Kenma had once been, with white fur with yellow and brown patches and golden eyes. He had to act fast; there was no way he could possibly hold the spell for very long.

A gasp escaped Akaashi’s lips when he saw the cat pop out of Kenma’s cell, eyes widening a little in surprise. He didn’t say anything for a few moments, watching the other padding awkwardly down the block towards where he assumed the keys for the cells were kept. A faint jingling was heard after that, coming closer and closer to his own cell. However, it abruptly stopped partway, the keys dropping into a nearby puddle with a splash.

“K-Kozume-san..?” he called out hesitantly, standing at the door of his cell and holding the bars to try to get a better look.

There was another brief flash of light as Kenma transformed back, immediately holding his stomach and clapping a hand over his mouth to try to keep himself from vomiting. His entire body was trembling, wave after wave of nausea overtaking all of his senses until he finally couldn’t take it anymore. He coughed and retched before finally emptying the contents of his stomach on the floor, tears coming to his eyes at the burning sensation in the back of his throat.

Just as Kenma was trying to collect himself the doors to the exit burst open, panic rising in Akaashi’s body as he tried to help rouse the other from his daze. One or two voices could be heard in the distance, one of them commanding and the other sounding as if they were begging the first to not come down to the dungeons in the first place.

“Kozume-san, you have to move!” Akaashi said in a hushed but hurried tone, trying in vain to break out of his own cell. The footsteps and voices grew closer and closer to the two, though Kenma still couldn’t bring himself to move.

“... And this is what you do in my absence?” The man with the more commanding voice spoke, disdain obvious in his tone. “Imprison people without good cause?”

“W-well sir, they practiced magic in public, and-” The second voice was more familiar to the two, eventually revealed in the dim torchlight as the general who put them down here in the first place.

“That’s it? No other crimes?” The first man’s gaze turned down to Kenma, who was still on the floor trying to compose himself. He knelt down, picking the keys up from the puddle they had landed in and jingled them once or twice in his hands before looking to the general again.

“Well…” He hesitated, silently wondering how the short mage was able to escape his cell before turning his attention back to his superior. “... No, they haven’t.”

The man with the keys nodded once, then approached Akaashi’s cell and unlocked the door. “Even though we don’t have many mages here, it doesn’t mean you can just imprison people who practice magic without just cause.”

Akaashi blinked in surprise, looking to the two men before hurrying over to Kenma to help him stand, supporting him as his nausea finally began to subside. He looked back over to the other two who had begun talking again, the man who freed him talking very sternly to the general, whose moustache seemed to droop more and more with each moment he was reprimanded.

“King Ushijima, uh, sir, please forgive me if I have done anything wrong,” the general stuttered, practically pleading for forgiveness. “I only did what I thought was right! They were acting out in public and I thought it best to-”

“If this is what you call ‘right’ or ‘best’, then I would hate to see what you feel is truly despicable of society and the mages.” Ushijima glared at the general, making the other shrink back in response. The general scurried away back upstairs to fetch the ma, footsteps echoing as they splashed on the wet stones before eventually fading away completely.

After making sure the other knew what was about to come to him the king turned to the mages, his expression softening slightly in apology. “Please don’t feel as if you’re not welcome in this kingdom after this… incident. We treat our mages, as few as they are, with as much respect as we can. In fact, if you are ever in the area again for whatever reason, feel free to stop at the castle to help with any research you’d like. Or you could even stay right now, with much better accommodations and equipment to do any research you’d like.”

Kenma finally pulled himself together enough to speak, the breaths he took still a little shaky as he leaned on Akaashi for support. “As long as the rest of your kingdom is more hospitable than that other guy then I think we’ll be okay.”

“As much as we appreciate the offer, I think we’ll have to decline for the time being,” Akaashi added, trying to be as polite as he could despite everything that had happened. “Right now we’d just like to go home.”

Ushijima nodded. “That’s very understandable. I’ll see to it that the general is stripped of rank and title, as well as not able to live in this city ever again. It’s the very least I can do to convey my deepest apologies.” He gave a bow of his head as well before gesturing for the two to follow him back upstairs and out of the dungeons without any repercussions.

Not long after that their belongings were returned, along with their familiars, of which they were very happy and relieved to see. The king lived up to his promise and sent the general packing just as the two were about to leave for home, packing their bags with all the food they could stuff into them before finally taking their leave.

***

The journey back to Fukurodani was just as exhausting as the ordeal they had just gone through, their poor feet sore and their familiars weighing down their shoulders by resting on them and in their bags from time to time. The trek up the mountains was the worst part of it all, the sun gleaming off the fallen snow as the two finally reached the path leading to the cabin where their friends were.

“You’re sure this is the right way, right?” Kenma called out, leaning on his staff for support as he paused to catch his breath, a small puff of vapor escaping his lips as he spoke.

“I’m positive,” Akaashi replied, wiping the sweat off his brow. Despite the frigid temperatures the climb up took a lot of exertion; exertion that the two barely had in them, but exertion nonetheless. “Just a little bit longer up this path, I think.”

“Do you think they noticed we were gone longer than we said we’d be?” Kenma finally caught up to Akaashi’s pace, trudging through the snow with his cats on his shoulders.

A small frown set onto Akaashi’s lips. “I’d think so. Or rather, I hope so.”

Kenma just sighed. “Well, I just hope you’re right.”

The two continued up the mountain until they saw the telltale signs of a cabin with hot springs, twin sighs of relief escaping their mouths before they hurried up the path to the door to go inside. The sight they were greeted with, however, did not feel as welcoming as they had hoped. The cabin was a mess, to say the least: armor strewn about the different sofas and chairs, swords haphazardly leaning against the fine furniture, and empty bottles of ale, mead, beer, wine, and whatever other spirits the current inhabitants could find lay about, some half-spilled on the floor. The clanging of what they could only assume was steel against steel echoed faintly from one of the farther away rooms, the sound drawing the mages in to inspect.

Two familiar voices could be heard as they drew nearer, one shouting to the other, their shouts emphasized each time by another clash of swords. “... Try this one on for size!” the louder, more boisterous of the two exclaimed, laughing as he swung his blade toward the other.

“Not if I have anything to say about it!” the other retorted with a grin, easily blocking and parrying the swing to give himself an advantage.

Kenma and Akaashi stood in the doorway to the training room, watching the two fight a little while longer before one of them finally spoke up.

“Bokuto-san, Kuroo-san.” Akaashi’s voice was loud enough to be heard and stern enough to make the two knights stop what they were doing despite his exhaustion.

The knights turned to see the mages watching in the doorway, smiles spreading over their faces. Bokuto spoke up first, sheathing his sword and stepping towards the two. “Akaashi!! You guys sure were back quick. Did the meeting go alright? That one professor or whatever didn’t talk back to you this time, did they?”

Akaashi blinked, nearly dumbfounded. Kenma spoke up this time, his words marked with obvious annoyance. “You… _do_ realize what day it is, don’t you?”

Kuroo thought for a moment or two, scratching the back of his messy mop of black hair before speaking. “It’s… Uh, it’s Tuesday, isn’t it? Yeah, it is Tuesday, because I sent Lev outside to split firewood this morning, and-”

“We were gone for almost a week longer than we said we’d be!” Akaashi fumed, an angry and exhausted frown settling on his features. “We got arrested in Shiratorizawa before we could even make it to the meeting!”

Bokuto and Kuroo looked between each other, exchanging confused expressions before looking back to the two. “Ah shit… I don’t think anyone even realized. We’re really sorry..” Kuroo looked to Kenma, whose expression now matched Akaashi’s.

“Yeah well, sorry isn’t going to give us back all the time we lost when we were in those dungeons, now is it?” Kenma’s words seethed with resentment towards the two who had been living it up in this nice cabin while they were locked away. “I want to go home as soon as possible and sleep in my own bed for once.”

“M-maybe you could both take a quick soak in the hot springs?” Bokuto chimed in, trying to break any tension between the four of them. “It’ll help with your sore feet and you can take a little rest while we clean the place up before we all leave, yeah?”

Akaashi huffed, his frown softening into a scowl. “How did you even let this place get so filthy anyway? Isn’t this your parent’s summer home or whatever?”

“Well yeah, but we’re gonna clean it up as soon as everyone else gets back in from their training.” Bokuto smiled hopefully, trying to get some sort of positive reaction out of Akaashi.

Akaashi, however, was not feeling generous. All he did in response was huff before turning away, motioning for Kenma to follow him to the springs to relax. Kenma shot Kuroo and Bokuto one last glare before following behind the other, wanting nothing more than to rest his poor feet and to clean himself up a little.

With matching sighs Kuroo and Bokuto set themselves to cleaning up the mess strewn throughout the enormous cabin with some help from the others while the mages took a much-needed break in the hot springs. By the time Kenma and Akaashi came back inside, it was as if there had not been a mess in the first place. All of the empty bottles, swords, armor, and other miscellaneous items that had been thrown about were neatly organized and packed, ready to go whenever they all decided to leave.

Kuroo folded his arms across his chest with his trademark grin, smiling to Kenma as he came into the room. “How’s that for a speedy clean-up?”

Kenma rolled his eyes, his cats at his heels as he turned away from Kuroo to gather his own things. He took to looking over the contents of his bag to distract himself for a little while, as well as to give himself another excuse not to talk to the other for the time being.

Kuroo’s smile fell, as did his arms to his sides with a slight pout before turning his head back to the others to make sure they had everything packed up properly. “Lev! Don’t forget to help Yaku carry all the practice equipment!”

“Right!” Lev snapped to attention for a moment before doing as he was told.

It wasn’t long after that that everything was finally packed up and ready to go. Bokuto, Akaashi, and the rest of the knights from Fukurodani did not have very long to travel, though Kuroo, Kenma, and the knights from Nekoma had a ways to go before they’d finally reach their home. Kenma had found himself a little nook in one of the carriages to sit in with his cats, continuing to let his feet rest for awhile longer as they travelled back to their own kingdom.

Kuroo and Bokuto clasped hands with huge grins, saying their goodbyes for now. “I’ll see you at the tournament in a couple months, right?” Kuroo inquired, though already knew the answer before the other even spoke.

“You know it! I’ll beat you again this year too!” Bokuto laughed wholeheartedly.

Akaashi watching from a few yards away near one of their own carts, silently urging the two to hurry up so they could all be on their way. He called out to Kenma as they were just about to leave. “I’ll send an owl in case anything comes up in my studies, Kozume-san.”

Kenma glanced up from petting Shiro, nodding once in response. “Likewise.” He looked back down, his cats purring in his lap as the cart finally began to move. In just a few days time the group would finally reach Nekoma’s capital, and Kenma would finally be able to get some much-needed rest.

***

A certain knock earned a man entrance into a hidden away room, far from peering eyes and those who would spill their secrets to the rest of the world. Hesitantly the man stepped inside, glancing around the room before he finally saw a figure sitting in the shadows, a map open in front of him.

“... So, general. My sources tell me you allowed two mages to slip through your grasp?” The man at the table spoke, his words smooth as silk. There was a hint of discontent in them, however, causing the first man to take a moment to collect his thoughts before bowing on one knee before the other.

“M-my apologies. I thought the distraction would work a little longer to keep King Ushijima away from the castle so we could ship them off here.” The general’s moustache bristled as a scowl came to his lips, berating himself as he continued. “Though I miscalculated… And I’m not a general any longer. I was stripped of my rank and title and banished from the castle.”

“It’s quite alright. I have everything we’ll need right here.” The man at the table motioned to the map in front of himself with a smile, candlelight illuminating the intricate drawings. Beside the map there was also plans for something big, though the former general couldn’t tell what any of it was from where he was positioned. “Let’s just say… The college is about to go through a lot of changes… yes?”

**Author's Note:**

> Be on the look out for more, if you liked this!  
> Tumblrs!  
> Windy: [X](http://www.iamthewindything.tumblr.com)  
> Me: [X](http://www.tuscedomask.tumblr.com)


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